A Little Childhood Trauma Builds Character
by kurtsievonglitz
Summary: A three part series in which Ed, Edd and Eddy realize at a young age that the family can be particularly cruel. Drabble series.


**Title: **A Little Childhood Trauma Builds Character**  
Summary:** A three part series in which Ed, Edd and Eddy realize at a young age that family can be particularly cruel. **  
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**A Little Childhood Trauma Builds Character**

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**Eddy  
Bye Bye, Big Bro**

Being a pretty loud kid himself, Eddy was accustomed to noise and loudness. He always made sure that he used his 'outdoor voice' all of the time, just to make sure that people heard him and paid attention to whatever he was saying. He was a pretty small kid, so he was overlooked a lot of the time. But even Eddy was scared by the sheer uproar of angry shouting and crashing objects that was coming from the room directly above his head. It had been happening for a really long time. He didn't know how long, he couldn't tell the time yet, not like that dumb redheaded kid with the stupid cap across the street could. But Eddy was pretty sure it had been hours. It was dark outside and he hadn't had dinner yet. He was getting pretty hungry.

Pulling his baggy t-shirt over his skinny legs, Eddy burrowed himself backwards into the worn cushions of the couch. He wished that he could disappear right into it. His eyes were trained on the TV set, but they weren't really seeing the boring news programme that was showing. He listened hard, his throat itching with fear. Not a day passed by without an argument breaking out, either between his mother and father, or between his parents and his older brother. But this argument felt different. It seemed a lot scarier and fiercer than the usual ones. Eddy was used to those, but he had a sick, strange sensation in the very pit of his stomach that told him things wouldn't just return to normal when the fight was over. He jumped suddenly as the volume of his father's voice intensified.

"_You're throwing your damned life away_!"

"_You don't know shit about me, just get the hell off my case, man_!"

"_If you walk out of that door, you ain't getting back in! Over my dead body_!"

Eddy jumped when he heard footsteps on the stairs. They were followed by the harsh _thud, thud, thud _of something else. He peered over the back of the couch and watched his brother, his hero in any other light, pause and fumble with something on the ground. He pulled his cap low over his eyes and marched to the front door. Eddy jumped up and ran after him.

"Bro, where you goin'?"

"Go back inside, Pipsqueak. Cold out here."

Eddy peered down at his feet. If his mom caught him outside without any shoes on, she would hit the roof. Regardless, Eddy looked from his brother to the suitcase that he was pulling along behind him. He was old enough to know that suitcases meant vacation. He had been on one before, back when he was a _real _little kid. His brother had complained the entire time, wanting to be home with his friends and his video games. His dad had yelled, his mom had cried and Eddy had wondered why everyone talked about holidays like they were a _good_ thing.

"Are you going on vacation?"

"Yeah. A hell of a long one."

"Are mom and dad mad at you?"

"Do bears shit in the woods?"

Eddy's brow creased. "When will you be home again?"

A car pulled up on the sidewalk, the headlights making Eddy blink rapidly. His brother didn't answer. Picking up his suitcase, he nodded towards the front door, where the light blazed onto the doorstep. Eddy could hear his mother crying and he openly cringed. He _hated _it when people cried, especially his mom. She seemed to be crying a bunch lately and he didn't know _why_.

"Go back inside. I'll write to you, okay?"

"Write? Aren't you ever coming back?"

"Not if I can help it."

The car horn beeped, but Eddy barely heard it. How could his brother leave forever? He promised him that he'd teach him how to ride a big boy bike, how to pull off a real scam. He didn't even have any _cash_, Eddy knew that because his dad was always shouting about it. Sure, his big bro pushed him around a little and if he was gone, that would mean no more dreaded games of 'Uncle' and harsh beatings to 'toughen him up'. But he was still Eddy's _hero_. He felt his eyes sting and his brother walked towards the car. He paused at the door, looking back at where Eddy stood, alone and trying not to cry.

"Don't break too many hearts, Pipsqueak. Do me a favor, yeah?"

Eddy nodded.

"Make sure the kids in this dump know who your big bro is."

And before Eddy could reply, he tossed his suitcase into the car and he was gone; the car disappearing down the street in a puff of smoke from the exhaust pipe. He tugged on the hem of his t-shirt, sniffling, feeling more alone than ever. Why couldn't he go with him? His big bro had no right leaving him here, with no friends and nobody to protect him! Peach Creek suddenly seemed much bigger, the biggest place in the world. He felt himself shrinking until he was almost invisible. Without his big bro, he _was_ invisible. And Eddy would never see him again, he knew it.

He wiped his damp cheeks with the back of his hand, breathing in the lingering smell of smoke until his mother called him back inside.

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**Notes:** This is going to be a three part series and each chapter is going to focus on a main point in each of the Eds childhoods. It was inspired by an awesome blog on Tumblr that revolves around the Eds when they were kids. So thank you to whoever runs it for inspiring me! Thanks for reading!


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